Nightmares
by schneidahhh
Summary: Mrs. Lovett is plagued by nightmares. The least likely of people will be there to help her through the nights. Sweeney/Lovett naturally.
1. Distracted

It was the anniversary. It has been thirteen years since Albert Lovett had died of gout. Nellie Lovett hadn't really thought all too much about her husband over the years. That part of her life was something she would like to forget, but she had been distracted with thoughts of him all night long.

Covered in flour, Mrs. Lovett made her way over to the old battered door, and flipped the sign to read 'Sold Out.' It had been a busy night again at the meat pie emporium.

Young Toby was busy clearing tables, as finally the last of the customers had departed. She stood at the door for a moment watching the boy. Once Mr. Todd had killed Pirelli, she had taken him in as her own; her kind heart not allowing her to send him back to the workhouse.

She had always wanted a child of her own. She had always envied Lucy and Benjamin Barker who had their darling Johanna. Her dear Albert didn't see the need for children, saying they were only a waste of time and space.

She sighed, remembering Albert. Never really loved him, did she. It was something that had been arranged, something that she had no say in. He really was a dreadful man. He would go to work in the morning, and return in the evening. She always dreaded his arrival back home after a long day's work, because he was never in a prime mood.

He expected his dinner to be ready for him when he came home. He would sit at the table and wait to be served by his wife. She hated that she had to do as he commanded. She hated that he really had no idea of how to treat a woman. She was shaken from her memories as Toby brushed past her.

"That's the last of 'em, mum," he said to her, bringing the last of the plates inside. She smiled, as she ruffled his hair, closed the door and followed him inside. Toby had been working on the dishes throughout the night, so he was nearly finished. As he worked at that, Mrs. Lovett tidied up around the shop, putting odds and ends back in their proper place.

She was trying to keep her mind focused onn the present, but she couldn't help it from slipping back to the past. This did not go unnoticed by Toby, who was quickly able to pick up something wasn't right.

"Everything alright mum?" he asked, putting the last of the dishes away, "You 's lookin' a bit off tonight."

Mrs. Lovett smiled to herself, thankful that she had found the boy. She had gone quite a long time without any real affection in her life. She had cared for Mr. Todd of course, but he hadn't exactly shown anything back. With Toby in her life, she felt more complete, as if she now had a purpose for her life.

"Don't you worry darling," she said, taking him by the shoulders and leading him into the next room, "I'm perfectly fine."

Toby looked up at her, still unconvinced.

"Are you sure?"

"Very sure. Now," she said to him, "it's late, and about time for you to be gettin' to bed."

Smiling at her, Toby took off to go get ready for bed, and Mrs. Lovett made her way back into the kitchen. She walked over to the photograph of Albert hanging on the wall. It was the only picture she had left of him. She had burned all the rest. She made sure to leave this one in the kitchen; it seemed only right.

She heard the floorboards creak behind her, and she turned, startled to be face to face with Sweeney Todd.

"Oh, Mr. T! You gave me a fright," she said, trying to keep her heart from beating quite so fast, "What can I do for you?"

"Nothing Mrs. Lovett," replied Mr. Todd, his eyes wandering around the shop.

"Well then, what are you doin' down here?" she asked him.

"I was watching you. From my shop tonight. You seemed distracted," he said to her, his face softening.

Mrs. Lovett's heart fluttered. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. He had been watching her? And he noticed that she hadn't been acting like her normal self? Mr. Todd had never shown any kind of feelings toward her since he returned from Australia.

"Not to worry love. Just tired is all," she said, hoping she sounded convincing to the barber. When his expression remained unchanged she continued.

"Really Mr. T. Nothin' some sleep won' fix," she assured him.

Without so much as another word, he ascended back up the stairs into his shop. Toby then emerged from the other room, and wrapped his arms around Mrs. Lovett.

"G'night mum," he said to her, still holding her in an embrace.

"G'night dearie," she responded, "Come on then. Let's get you nice and tucked in."

She followed him back into the room off the pie shop. She and Toby had created a bedroom in the back of the room. Mrs. Lovett had found some cheap privacy screens at a local shop further down Fleet Street. Mind you, they weren't actual walls, and the space wasn't very big, but it served its purpose.

Toby quickly climbed into bed, and under the covers. Mrs. Lovett tucked him in and smiled at him.

"Mum," he said, "I wanted to thank you."

"For what love?" she asked.

"Fo' not sendin' me back to the work house. And fo' lettin' me stay with you," he replied, turning over onto his side, his back now facing her.

"Ah. Well now, I couldn't send you back there now, could I? I care too much for you, I do," she said, running her hand in soothing circles on his back.

"I care for you too mum," he said slightly yawning.

"Hush now love. It's time to sleep," she said to him.

He closed his eyes and listened to the voice of Mrs. Lovett singing him to sleep.

"Nothing's gonna harm you, not while I'm around. Nothing's gonna harm you darling, not while I'm around," she sang, continuing to make circles. She peered over at his face and found that the child was already fast asleep. Getting up, she made her way to the front of the room, to start preparing herself for some sleep.

As she lay in bed, she tried to imagine happy thoughts to dream about. Living by the sea, with Toby and Mr. Todd. Oh how she wished she could have pleasant dreams for a change. But Mrs. Lovett knew that for her, nighttime meant nightmares. Terrible nightmares. And there was nothing she could do to stop them from coming.


	2. Just a Dream

_Opening her eyes, Mrs. Lovett right away wished__ that__ she hadn't. __Her body was aching. Her head was throbbing. She had barely been able to pull herself out of bed. She could tell she had a fever by the way she was shivering while __sweat dripped down her body. With a bit more effort she was able to stand up, and walk over to the window. Pulling the curtain aside, she glanced outside. There were very few people left on the street, and Mrs. Lovett couldn't figure out why. Still __slightly disoriented from just waking up, she took a minute to look around. It was getting dark out._

_'Wait,' she thought, wrinkling her eyebrows __, 'It gets ligh__ter in the morning, not darker.' _

_It finally occurred to her that it wasn't __morning. It was the evening. Being sick and need__ing__ sleep, she had slept through the whole day. __Certainly something she hadn't planned on. And certainly something Albert wouldn't approve of. __She glanced at the clock and she knew he would be home soon, wanting his dinner. __She moved as quickly as she could to the kitchen, to start preparing his meal. But it was too late._

_The squealing of the worn door opening__. It was Albert._

_"Why is there no __food out?" he asked her angrily. He had walked into the house to find a bare table.__He was __completely __unaware of __ his wife's current __health condition_

_"I was just __a__bou__' to start it," she replied, taking this and that out of cabinets and drawers. _

_"Dinner __is to be ready when I get home," he said sternly._

_"I know that, __bu__' I '__aven't__ been __feelin__' good. An' I only jus' woke up," she began._

_"__Don't feel good, you say? I don't see you going out to work every day. No one comes into this shop anymore. I have to __provide __all the money. All you have to do is prepare a meal. And you can'__t even do that."_

_"I'm sorry love," she said, not knowing what else to say. _

_"Sorry isn't going to put food on the table, is it now?" he asked her. _

_"Well if you would give me a__ min__-" she began, but was cut off as his hand came into contact with her face, at such a force it sent her already weak body crumbling__to the ground. __She yelped in pain, quickly holding her face, where a handprint had already started to form._

_Not knowing what else to do, Nellie remained on the floor, defeated, holding her cheek in her hand as tears streamed down her face. _

_"Things are going to be different here, from now on," he began, pacing around the room, ignoring his weeping wife, "That barber of yours is gone. __Your only friend. So who will save you now?" _

_It was a trick question, she knew. He didn't really want her to answer. Which was really a good thing, since she didn't have one. _

_"You're alone now Nellie. Whatever kind of friendship you and that barber had is gone. All you have in this world is me. So it would be in your best interest to d__o whatever I say, when I say it. Understood?__" he __asked__. He had walked back over __to where she was on the ground, and he was looking at her. Waiting for her answer. This time he was expecting one. And she knew what she had to say. _

_"Yes," she replied, not able to bring herself to look at him. _

_"Yes, what?" he asked, slightly angered. _

_"Yes, sir," she said through clenched teeth. __Still cowering on the ground, she saw a small spider walking across the flour covered floorboards. She became mesmerized by the way it moved so delicately. She could vaguely hear Albert saying something else to her, but she wasn't paying much attention. She was trying to block him out, and just concentrate on the spider. _

_"Mrs. Lovett." It was getting louder. _

_"Mrs. Lovett." More firm this time. He was getting angry. She could feel him shaking her. She had done it now. She knew better than to upset him. She knew what was coming next._

_"Please stop. I promise I'll do what you say," she said crying. _

_"Mum, it's only a dream." __It was a child's voice. Toby. It was Toby's voice. _

Slowly her eyes opened. She awoke to find Sweeney Todd sitting on her bed, holding her shoulders. Toby was slightly behind him, standing next to the bed.

"Are you alright?" asked Mr. Todd.

"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?" she asked, pulling herself out of the barber's grip.

"You were cryin' mum," said Toby.

"Toby," Mr. Todd began, "Why don't you go back to sleep. I'm going to have a talk with Mrs. Lovett. Alright?"

Toby didn't say anything, only looked to Mrs. Lovett for approval.

"Go on darling," she said nodding. Toby retreated to his room in the back, leaving the barber alone with the baker.

"So what happened?" he asked her.

"What makes you think anything happened?" she asked him.

"I heard you scream. A minute later, the boy's upstairs knocking. Going on about how he was scared and didn't know what to do."

"Just a dream, Mr. Todd," she said, not only to reassure him, but also to convince herself, "Just a dream."

A few moments of silence passed.

"You've been acting strange," he stated.

"So have you," she retorted. She looked up to meet his eyes. They were different for the first time since his return. They held emotion. They weren't the blank orbs she had become so used to seeing. She continued, "It's just a difficult time o' year is all."

"Well, if it is anything else you can let me know," he said to her, standing. She was sure her heart skipped a beat. Even at a time like this Mr. Todd could still make her feel like she was going to melt.

"Thank you, Mr. T," she said, "Goodnight."

He left the room, and headed back upstairs. She could hear the sounds of his footprints pacing around the room. Slowly, over time they grew softer, and eventually faded into silence.

It was late now, she knew. She was tired, but afraid to go to sleep. Afraid of the visions that would plague her. They had been going on for weeks, and she didn't know how to make them stop. Toby had woke her up other times, when he heard her thrashing about. But he had never gone up the stairs to get Mr. Todd.

They were getting worse, she knew. And she knew eventually she would have to come clean about her past to Mr. Todd. She had always told herself there was little point in dwelling on the past. She truly believed this. Why then were her dreams all revolving around hers? She knew that these dreams must hold some deeper meaning.

But for right now, she would let them be dreams. She needed to sleep. She had nothing to fear. Her barber was back. And he would save her. She knew it.


End file.
